Oysters are a vital cornerstone of the Gulf Coast economy, contributing through the commercial seafood industry, job creation, tourism, and essential ecosystem services like water filtration and coastal protection from erosion and storms. They act as a natural water purifier, provide shelter and food for hundreds of other marine species thus making them essential for the health of the entire ecosystem.
The entire gulf coast has been rebuilding a healthy oyster marine life and the efforts have begun to show dividends.
This week, Mobile Baykeeper’s Oyster Keeper team completed its second oyster deployment of the year. The release of 120,000 oysters brings the total to 240,000 oysters placed on restoration reefs in 2025. Meanwhile, Florida regulators have approved a limited-entry management plan for Apalachicola Bay, with commercial harvesting set to resume on January 1, 2026, after the wild harvest moratorium ends on December 31, 2025…